Major League Baseball is about to be dumbed down, reportedly to curry favor with people who have the attention span of a gnat.
MLB has approved a change to the intentional walk rule, eliminating the traditional four-pitch walk to a dugout signal. This is being done with the intent of finding ways to supposedly speed up the game.
The elimination of the four-pitch walk, which takes all of about 30-45 seconds per occurrence, actually does nothing to alter the game. It eliminates "dead time", which according to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, will help keep traditional fans as well as usher in a new generation.
"I think we need to continue to be willing to look at the game, be thoughtful and reasonable and respectful of the history and traditions of the game, but also be willing to do things, with respect to rules, that will make the game better for our fans."
Last season, according to MLB, there were 932 intentional walks issued by pitchers. That averages out to one per every 2.6 games, so if we're using some sort of atomic clock to determine how much actual time is being saved, consider the average length of a game is 2 hours, 56 minutes.
By this calculation, even by using the estimate of one minute per intentional walk, we're talking about shaving anywhere between 15-20 seconds off that same 2.6 game ratio in which an intentional walk is handed out.
So, what MLB is telling me is that new fans, or those watching games on television or some other platform, have no patience for the issuance of a walk -- or the same amount of time it takes to grab a beverage, a handful of chips or scratch oneself inappropriately.
This is the future of baseball?
No. This is the degradation of my sport.
And I have little to no interest in seeing my favorite sport be altered in order to cater to stupid people.